Gettin Lucky
by Cora Summers
Summary: Inspired by a Chipettes song of the same name. Not very good with the whole summary thing so read it and find out. Femslash A/O don't like, don't read.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own the characters. They are the property of Dick Wolf. I don't own the song either. It is the property of Janice Karman, who created the Chipettes.

* * *

It's amazing how long seven days can feel. It was finally Friday, the end of a very long week and almost the end of the work day for Alex Cabot, a Bureau Chief in the Manhattan District Attorney's office. Plus she was planning a girl's night out with some of her friends, and if she had anything to with it one of those friends would hopefully become something more.

Alex had realized a long time ago that she had fallen in love with her best friend Olivia Benson, a detective with the Special Victims Unit. She had no way of knowing if Olivia felt the same way but it was a chance Alex was willing to take. She couldn't take not talking to Liv about this. Alex started going over how exactly she was going to declare her love when she was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in," Alex called.

The door opened and Alex smiled as she saw three of her close friends, and members of tonight's get together enter her office. She smiled as she looked up into the smiling faces of AUSA Abbie Carmichael, ACLU Advocate Serena Southerlyn, and SVU ADA Casey Novak.

"Come on, Cabot. You're done for the day," Abbie announced with a smile.

"That's right. Nita just called and said that everyone else is already down at Chauncey's waiting for us. So go change and we will get going," Serena smiled.

Not having the energy to argue, Alex just stood up, grabbed her bag, and left the room to go change out of her business suit, leaving her friends in her office to discuss what would happen tonight. "Do you guys think she's actually gonna do it?" Casey asked.

"She is already determined to do this tonight. I just hope Liv reacts the way we all want her to," Abbie replied.

"And if she breaks her heart, we'll kick her ass," Serena stated.

"Yeah right. We all know that woman could take all three of us with her hands tied behind her back!" Casey laughed, causing the others to laugh as well.

"Yeah, but she would look hot as hell doing it," Abbie replied, not noticing Alex reenter the office.

"Careful, Carmichael. That woman, as you put it, could turn out to be my future girlfriend," Alex stated with an amused smile on her face.

"On a more serious note," Serena started as they made the quartet made their way to the elevators, "how exactly are you going to tell the delicious detective that you are head over heels in love with her?"

Alex smiled. "Well…"

Meanwhile, waiting at a table in the back of Chauncey's, Detectives Monique Jeffries Nola Falacci, formerly of the SVU and Major Case Squad respectively, Lieutenant Anita Van Buren from the 27th, and Olivia were already sat waiting for their assorted legal friends, discussing something along the same lines.

"Liv, why so quiet tonight?" Monique asked.

"It's nothing. I just think there might be something wrong with Alex."

"What makes you say that?" Nola asked.

"Well, she seems to be nervous all the time lately," Olivia explained. "I think she might be working too hard. She needs to take some time off, take a vacation or something."

"Or it could be that she feels the same way about you that you do about her, but she has no idea how you feel because you are so damn stoic with your emotions," Anita deadpanned.

"Nah, there is no way that is the reason for the behavior," she denied, not wanting to get her hopes up.

"Come on, Liv! You'd have to be blind not to see that the woman is in love with you," Nola exclaimed.

"You should think about telling her…"

"And ruin a great friendship? I don't think so," Olivia interrupted.

"You're telling her tonight, Benson." Anita stated, using her Lieutenant voice.

"Is that an order, LT?" Liv asked with an amused smile on her face.

"Well it's either that or we see just how good the rumor mill is between 1PP and the courthouse." Monique said with a mischievous smile.

"You wouldn't!" Olivia said, with a slightly panicked expression as she caught the looks on her friends' faces. Seeing that they all mirrored Monique's she sighed in defeat. "You would." The other three women all let out a chuckle. "Alright. I'll tell her, but not until after we leave here. It's karaoke night and I am not going to let an awkward conversation ruin our entertainment, besides I don't think that conversation needs an audience."

"What doesn't need an audience?" Abbie asked, having only caught the tail end of Olivia's statement, as she led the rest of the group to the table.

"Probably some of the performances we are going to see tonight," Monique responded, covering for Liv.

"Come ladies, have a seat," Anita said. With that the detectives started to shift around, letting the counselors in. Due to some strategic planning on both sides of the group, Alex and Olivia were sitting next to each other. Nola went to grab a round for everyone and Girls Night Out was officially under way.

An hour later, after she had finished her second round, Alex thought it was time to execute her plan. She leaned over to say something to Serena and a few moments later Alex was getting leaving the table and heading for the DJ/MC.

"What is she doing?" Olivia asked.

"She said that she wanted to sing tonight," Serena replied with a smile on her face. One that told Olivia she knew more than she was letting on. She was about to respond, but she heard Alex's voice over the speakers.

"I know you don't usually have to give an introduction, but I think this occasion calls for it," Alex started. "I originally heard this song years ago and I think it says pretty much what I can't. I'm dedicating this song to my best friend. Liv, I just want you to know that I love you." With that Alex stopped talking and started to sing, keeping her eyes away from the table of her friends, not ready to see the reaction.

_**Honey, you're a sweet thing  
and you look so fine  
all I ever wanted  
is to make you mine**_

_**Give me  
a clue  
tell me what I need to do  
to get lucky with you**_

_**Girl I really love you  
with my heart and soul  
honey won't you take me  
where I want to go**_

_**Give me  
a clue  
tell me what I need to do  
to get lucky with you**_

_**Getting lucky  
hmmm getting lucky  
is what's its really all about**_

_**getting lucky  
hmmm getting lucky  
its something I can't do without**_

_**Honey I've been waiting  
waiting patiently  
let me unlock you're heart girl  
I think I got the key**_

_**Give me  
a clue  
tell me what I need to do  
to get lucky with you**_

_**Give me  
a clue  
tell me what I need to do  
to get lucky with you**_

**_give me a clue  
won't you tell me what I need to do to get lucky with you_**

Alex finished the song, slightly out of breath. She finally looked over at the table and she thought her heart was going to shatter. Instead of seven friendly faces staring back at her, there were only six. Detective Olivia Benson was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

Check chapter one for the standard disclaimers.

* * *

While watching the performance, Olivia had been amazed. Not only was her best friend and secret love on stage confessing her love for Olivia, but Alex also had one hell of a singing voice. She was about to say something to the rest of the girls when a familiar figure caught her eyes.

"Casey," she said to get the young ADA's attention. "Look over your shoulder and tell me who you see chatting up the leggy red head."

Casey did as she was told and her eyes opened wide in shock. She quickly turned back to Olivia. "Shit, Liv. Could this be any bigger a lucky break?"

"Umm…you guys wanna fill us in what you're talking about?" Anita asked.

"That man over there is Frank Prinzi. He is wanted on six counts of rape, six counts of poisoning for the GHB he used on all the girls, and one count of possession. He skipped bail a couple of weeks ago and no one has been able to find him since." Olivia explained.

"And he picks tonight to enter the same bar as four police officers and four attorneys. Could he have any worse luck?" Monique asked.

"Yeah, cause he's about to get arrested again. Nola, do me a favor and call for a squad car so we can get him to central booking. Casey, tell Alex to meet me outside when she's done. I think we are gonna have to talk." With that she stood up and made her way to the bar.

"Shouldn't one of you guys go and help her with this?" Serena asked.

"Nah," replied Nola as she hung up her phone. "It's more fun to watch her work than it is to try and help out." The only thing the others could was nod in agreement.

Up at the bar, Liv was able to hear part of Frank's conversation. "What do you say we go back to your place, honey?" He asked the red head.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Frank," Olivia replied. She noticed him immediately go tense at the sound of her voice and she had to smile.

Sensing something wasn't exactly right, the red head took Olivia's presence as her cue to leave. "Alone at last," Olivia stated. "Tell me Frank, you didn't think you could hide forever did you? Cause I gotta tell you, hide and seek was always a favorite of mine as a kid."

She could see that Prinzi was nervous and was looking for any tells of a possible attack. She didn't have long to wait until a hand was flying towards her face. Sensing the attack she was able to avoid it. She grabbed the offending arm, twisted it behind him, and had him pinned to the floor with a knee in his back in a matter of seconds. Placing her cuffs on him she couldn't resist a few more remarks. "What's the matter, Prinzi? Too weak to take down a girl unless you've drugged them first?"

"You crazy bitch! Let me out of these cuffs and I'll show you weak!"

"Not likely, seeing as though I took you down in one move," Liv scoffed. Looking up she noticed to on duty uniformed officers standing by the door looking around. She waved them over before pulling Prinzi to his feet. Following the officers out of the bar, Olivia missed the horrified look on Alex's face when she looked over at the table she had recently vacated.

The look was not lost on the rest of the group however.

"Ladies, looks like we need to do a little damage control," Anita announced, slipping into her role as Lieutenant. "Jeffries, go take over for Benson so she can stay and talk to Alex. Casey and Abbie, go explain to Alex what happened and that Liv didn't just bolt."

Everyone got up to do the job they were given. Seeing Alex head towards the bathroom, Casey and Abbie hastily followed her. They found her next to the sink, tears running down her face, trying furiously to wipe them away without success. Looking up she saw her friends standing by the door. "I knew there was a chance she didn't feel the same, but I didn't think she would just leave before we got a chance to talk."

"Alex, wait…" Casey started, only to be interrupted.

"How could I be so stupid? I mean, she is like the perfect woman. Of course she wouldn't want me," Alex continued, starting to pace.

"Hang on Alex…" Abbie tried.

"She probably had a date tonight and was only killing time with us until she had to go and meet her."

"ALEX!" This time both Casey and Abbie yelled, finally getting Alex to stop talking. She looked at them waiting for them to continue.

"She didn't just get up and leave," Casey started, inciting a confused yet hopeful look on the Bureau Chief's face.

"There was perp who skipped bail a couple of weeks ago sitting up at the bar trying to pick up his next victim," Abbie continued. "You know Liv always has to play hero. She went over to get him in custody again."

There was a faint trace of a smile when Alex heard this, knowing how true it was.

"She's waiting outside so you guys can talk," Casey said.

Suddenly feeling nervous again, Alex nodded and made her way out of the bathroom.

Meanwhile, Monique caught up with Olivia outside. "Liv!" She called out. Olivia looked up at the sound of her name. "LT said that I am to accompany this dirt bag down to central booking so you can stay and have a talk with a certain blond hair, blue eyed ADA."

To say that Olivia looked relieved would have been an understatement. She didn't want to end tonight without talking with Alex first. She had a feeling that her friend was freaking out anyway, because she wasn't there when Alex finished her song. "You're the best Monique. I owe you one." She told her friend.

Monique just laughed. "I'll remember that. Next time I'm on a hot date and get called in I'll call you and make you go."

"You got it," Liv smiled.

"Speaking of hot dates," Monique said, motioning with her head over Olivia's shoulder. Olivia turned to see Alex step nervously out of the bar. "Go get her Benson," Monique quietly as she got into the car with the other officers.

Olivia stepped toward Alex. "I think we should talk," she said gently. "Why don't we go and grab a cup of coffee?"

Alex nodded and started to follow Olivia down the street. They were quiet for a few minutes before one of them brought up the subject. Olivia was admittedly at an advantage knowing how they both felt, while Alex was still unsure where the detective's heart lie.

"So that song," Olivia started casually, causing Alex to even more nervous than, if that was even possible.

"Look, Liv, I don't want you to feel any kind of pressure. I just thought that you should know," Alex started rambling.

"Hold on a minute, Alex," Liv tried to interrupt.

"I mean I know I kind of threw that on you and I would totally understand if you didn't feel the same way."

"Alex," Olivia tried again.

"I mean I would be a little upset about the whole thing, but I'm a big girl, I can handle it," Alex continued muttering.

Olivia forgot how much Alex rambled when she was nervous or upset. Knowing nothing short of shouting in her ear would get her to shut up, Olivia did the one thing she knew would be ok now. She pulled them to a stop and quickly pulled Alex in for a kiss.


	3. Chapter 3

For disclaimers, please see chapter one

* * *

At first, Alex was too shocked at what was happening to respond. After a moment she realized that Olivia Benson was kissing her and she relaxed into it, wrapping her arms around Olivia's neck as Liv's arms made their way around her waist. The kiss was a slow, sensual, exploratory kiss. Eventually the lack of air made itself known.

Reluctantly breaking away from the kiss, Liv looked into the eyes of the woman she loved. "Now are you ready to listen to me?" She asked quietly. Alex gave a soft smile and nodded. "I feel the same way, Alex. In fact, I was under strict orders to tell you tonight," Liv chuckled, Alex looked confused.

"Orders?" She asked. "From who?"

"From Lieutenant Anita Van Buren. Apparently she could see what I couldn't," Liv explained.

"What was the ultimatum?" Alex asked with a smirk, knowing that her friend would need something more to follow an order that wasn't from Captain Cragen.

"The girls were going to let it slip to the infamous rumor mill. And while I wasn't quite ready to chance ruining our friendship because of my feelings, I thought it was something you should hear from me."

"And what exactly are your feelings?" Alex asked, looking down, suddenly shy and nervous again. Although she was pretty sure she knew, it was something she needed to hear.

Olivia brought one of her hands from Alex's waist and cupped her chin, making blue eyes meet brown. "I am head over heels in love with you, Miss Cabot." Olivia smiled.

The smile that lit up Alex's face was breath taking. Alex pulled Olivia in for another kiss, far more passionate than their first. Passion that was returned equally by the detective. The pesky need to breathe again making itself known, the couple broke apart, but only far enough to touch their foreheads together. "I love you too, Liv."

"Come on. We better get back inside," Liv smiled, giving Alex another quick kiss.

"Ugh, do we have to? Can't we just get out of here?" Alex asked, looking at Liv with a hopeful look in her eyes.

Although there was nothing more that Olivia would rather do than go somewhere with Alex, but she has a pretty good idea of what would happen if they just left. "Alex, as much as would love to get out of here, we can't. At least not yet."

Alex silently asked a question with her eyes, one which Olivia had no problem interpreting as "_why the hell not?"_

"If we leave now, one of two things is going to happen. One, the detectives in there will think that we have no self control what-so-ever and are currently somewhere going at it and you and I both know that they'll tease us mercilessly for a very long time. Two, our friends from the DA's office will think that I completely broke your heart and make it their mission to make my life miserable for the foreseeable future. By going in now, we can reassure the lawyers and get the teasing out of the way from the cops," Olivia explained.

"I hate it that I know you're right about this. It leaves no room to talk you out of it," Alex smirked. "All I want right now is for us to go and cuddle up on one of our couches, maybe watch an old movie, relax, and get used to this new facet of our relationship."

"Me too, Alex. But you know we can't avoid them forever. Besides, I don't exactly like the idea of being on the wrong side of Carmichael, Novak, and Southerlyn," Liv smiled, reciting the names like they were partners in a defense firm.

"Funny, those three women seem to think you could take them without the use of your arms," Alex smirked.

Olivia laughed. "You ready to get back in there?"

"Let's get this over with," Alex sighed.

Olivia just smiled and turned them back towards the bar, keeping one arm wrapped around Alex. Alex, enjoying the new found freedom to be that close to Olivia tried to get as close as she could while still being able to walk, smiling the whole way.

Back at the table, their friends were impatiently awaiting their return. "Ten says they decided to find somewhere more private," Nola suggested with a grin, placing her bill down on the table.

"Are you kidding me? There is no way I am betting on the private lives of my friends," Serena said, looking down at her watch. Her eyes went wide realizing that they had been gone for more than thirty minutes, which was far too much time for a conversation that should have consisted of 'I love you, I love you too.' "I think I go with Nola on this one." She dropped a ten onto Nola's.

Nola chuckled, looking around the table for anymore takers. "Anyone else?" she asked, watching Casey add ten as she nodded her head in agreement.

"I think they'll come back inside at least to say bye," Anita said, adding her money to the pile.

"Yeah," Abbie agreed. "Knowing Liv, she'll think that we all assumed the worst if they don't make another appearance tonight." She added her money in favor of at least a brief return while everyone else laughed at the statement.

"How about twenty says they come back in to face any comments and/or teasing from their friends?" Came another voice that Nola didn't recognize right away.

"Are you kidding?" Nola scoffed. "They won't be able to keep in their pants that long." She finally turned towards the mysterious voice while everyone laughed. When she saw who made the comment she realized they were pretty much laughing at her and not with her, as she blushed furiously.

"Care to amend that statement, Falacci?" Alex asked with an amused expression.

"Uhm…well, what I meant was…" Nola trailed off as she looked around trying to come up with an excuse, finally casting a pleading look at the rest of the group.

"Oh come on Alex," Serena jumped in. "You have to admit that some of yours and Liv's fights are legendary. If that's anything to go by to compare the physical aspect of this new relationship to, it's going to be intense."

"Not to mention a whole lot more fun making up after the fight," Alex smirked, making the whole group laugh once more.

Settling back into their chairs, Liv's arm still around Alex, Olivia added her comments. "You could at least give us the benefit of the doubt to wait until after the first date."

"You know tonight doesn't count, right?" Anita asked reducing the group to laughter once more.

"No shit, Sherlock," Liv replied. "I don't know about you, but I don't usually go on group dates. Now, split up the money. The winners can buy us a round and we can continue with our girl's night out."


	4. Chapter 4

See chapter one for standard disclaimers. I don't own this song either.

* * *

A few hours later, the ladies decided to call it a night. They had spent their time drinking, laughing, and critiquing the performances with comments that would make the judges American Idol proud. They all walked out of the bar and grabbed cabs home. Because both were enjoying the new found closeness and neither was ready to say goodnight, Olivia escorted Alex to her apartment. Inside the cab, Alex relaxing against Olivia with her head on her shoulder and Olivia's arm wrapped around her, they made quiet conversation.

"So is tonight the reason why you've been acting so strangely?" Olivia asked.

"Partly. A part of me was nervous about telling you that I love you and how you would respond, while the other part was nervous around you in general," Alex said,

"I make you nervous?"

"Olivia doesn't, but Detective Benson does," Alex smirked.

Liv chuckled. "Umm…the last time I checked, we were the same person."

"Oh, no, you are quite different," Alex explained with as much seriousness as she could gather. "Olivia is off the clock, laid back and relaxed. Detective Benson is focused and intense. When she picks up a detail in a case, she focuses on it until she discovers the next detail. SVU has been so busy the past couple of weeks, every time I saw you it was work related and I was talking with Detective Benson. I had to make sure that I didn't look into your eyes to long, but I also couldn't let my gaze linger anywhere else for fear that you would see it and question me about it until you got your answer. Then I realized that you had probably picked up on the strange behavior and you would eventually ask me about it."

"So you decided to tell me willingly instead of having to go through a friendly interrogation," Olivia finished.

"Pretty much."

"Anita and Nola tried to tell me that was the reason, but I couldn't bring myself to believe them," Olivia said.

"Why?" Alex asked.

"I didn't want to get my hopes up. You're the best friend I've ever had, Alex. I didn't want to ruin it just because I fell in love," Olivia explained.

"Oh, hon. We didn't ruin anything, we just made it better." Alex smiled and pulled Olivia in for another kiss. Breaking away a few moments later, both slightly breathless, Olivia returned the smile.

"Yeah, we did," Olivia said. She looked up and realized they had come to a stop outside of Alex's building. Asking the driver to wait, Olivia walked Alex to the door of the building to 

make sure she got in safely. Stopping once they reached the door, Alex turned to say goodnight, only to be met with Olivia's hands around her waist and her lips against her own once more.

After a few moments of exploring each other's mouths, languishing in the feel of each other's bodies, Olivia broke the kiss, gently rubbing her thumb along Alex's jaw line and staring contently into her deep blue eyes. "Have dinner with me tomorrow night?"

"Like a date?" Alex asked, the smile never leaving her face.

Olivia chuckled. "Yes a date. Usually, before you can officially be a part of a couple, you need to go on a first date."

Absolutely loving the idea of Olivia and Alex being a couple Alex responded. "In that case I would love to go out with you tomorrow night. Have anything in mind besides dinner?"

"Maybe, but I guess you'll just have to wait until tomorrow night, huh?" Olivia smirked. "Six o'clock alright?"

"Sounds great," Alex responded while unlocking her door.

"Well then, I will see you tomorrow. Good night, Alex."

"Good night, Liv." With that, Alex closed the door, and headed up to her apartment. Olivia went back to the cab and gave the driver the address to her own apartment. Both women thoroughly excited about what lay ahead for them the next day.

The next morning, both women woke up early. Alex, because of the nervous energy she had, and Olivia to make the final preparations for the night ahead. Alex couldn't just sit around and wait for the time to pass so she got out of bed, deciding she would go for a jog. Returning more than hour later, feeling no less energetic, Alex realized that it was going to be a long day. After showering and getting dressed, Alex started doing random jobs around the apartment. After the laundry was done, the living room and office were straightened up, and the kitchen was clean, Alex saw that she had killed enough time and could start getting ready.

Standing in front of her closet, Alex realized she had no idea where they were going, leaving her with no idea what to wear. Picking up the phone, Alex decided she would call and see what was on the agenda.

"Benson," Olivia answered, not looking at the caller id, praying it wasn't a call in.

"Hey, Liv," Alex smiled.

"Hey, Alex. What's up? We still on for tonight?" Olivia asked, suddenly nervous that Alex was going to cancel on her.

"Definitely," Alex reassured her, "but I don't know where we are going…"

"So you don't know what to wear," Olivia finished for her.

"Exactly."

Olivia thought about how she could answer that without giving away where they were going. "Umm…dress nice, but be comfortable. And as much as I love you legs, no skirts."

"No skirts?" Alex asked, clearly amused.

"Trust me. You'll be more comfortable in pants," Olivia chuckled.

"Ok I will see you later then. Bye, Liv."

"Bye, Alex."

Hanging up the phone, Alex turned back to her closet with a pretty good idea of what she wanted to wear.

At ten to six, Alex was putting the finishing touches on her make-up. She was wearing a pale pink, short sleeved, blouse; khaki pants and she was bringing a light jacket in case it got cold later. She was doing a last minute outfit check when she heard a knock on the door. Before she could answer it though, Alex had to take a moment to get her excitement under control.

Opening the door, Alex saw Olivia waiting patiently. Olivia was wearing a light blue, v-neck polo top, black slacks, and her patented leather jacket. Alex thought she looked amazing, but it was Olivia who voiced that sentiment.

"Alex, you look amazing."

"You don't look so bad yourself, detective."

"Thanks. You ready to go?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah. Just let me get my jacket," Alex responded. She made her way back towards her room to grab her jacket. Moments later she returned with jacket and a smile on her face. "All set."

"Great," Olivia returned the smile and held out her hand. "Let's go." Alex took the offered hand and they made their way out onto the street. There was already a cab waiting for them when they got there.

"You didn't make him wait, did you?" Alex asked.

"Nah, I called for one on my way up," Olivia replied, opening the car door for Alex. Liv got in next to Alex and gave the driver the address.

The cab ride was spent in a comfortable silence. When it came to an end they were sitting in front a small Italian restaurant. Dinner was spent much the same as when they would go out as friends, only now they could add flirtatious comments without fear of what the other would think. When they had finished eating, Olivia looked at her watch and signaled for the check.

"You have somewhere else to be?" Alex teased, noticing the time check.

Olivia smiled. "Nope, but it's 7:30 and if we don't leave soon we could end up being late."

"Are you going to tell me where it is we're going yet?"

"I've been keeping it a secret all night. What makes you think I'll cave now?"

"Because you want to see me happy." Alex replied, batting her eyelashes.

That look almost melted Olivia's resolve, almost. "Yeah, but I like how your eyes light when you're surprised more."

Alex smiled, pleased that Olivia would notice something that would seem insignificant to someone else. "Well then, I guess I'm going to have to wait, huh?"

Olivia smiled, as she stood up, motioning for Alex to follow. When they left the restaurant Olivia lead them towards Central Park. When Alex noticed exactly where in Central Park, her eyes did indeed light up. "We're going to a movie in the park?" She asked excitedly.

"You've never been?"

"No, but I've always wanted to."

"Then I guess now's your chance," Olivia replied. She led them into Rumsey Playfield and headed in the direction of a small group of trees. As they got closer, Alex noticed a man leaning against one of them.

"Hey, Benny!" Olivia called out.

The older man turned at the sound of his name. When he caught sight of Olivia, he smiled. "How ya doin', Scout? I saved your spot for ya. The blanket is over there too"

"Thanks. Benny this is Alex Cabot. Alex, this is a good friend of mine Benny Jameson." After the introductions, Olivia walked off to set up their seats.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Cabot."

"Likewise and please call me Alex."

"Alex it is then. You know you must be pretty special for Scout to bring you here."

Alex looked confused, but curious to say that. "What makes you say that?"

"For as long as I've know her, Scout has never brought someone else with her."

Alex felt very honored at the thought of being the only one Olivia had ever shared this with. "And, ah…how long have you known her?"

"Since she was about knee high to a grasshopper."

"That's because I've never trusted anyone enough to share this with them," Olivia explained, surprising them both with her returned presence.

"Damn it, Scout! What have I told you about sneaking up on me like that?"

Olivia chuckled. "Sorry," not sounding it in the slightest.

"Yeah right. Well, I'll let you ladies get on with your night. It was nice to meet You Alex. Enjoy the movie." With that, Benny made his way towards the front of the audience.

Olivia led them over to the tree. When they were finally situated, Liv with her back against the tree and Alex with her back against Liv and Liv's arms wrapped around her, Alex turned her head and looked at Olivia with amused expression. "Scout?"

Olivia chuckled once again. "He was my neighbor when I was a kid," she explained, "and apparently I reminded him of the character from the book."

"Got it," Alex smirked. "So what's the movie we're watching called?"

"_The Girl Can't Help It_," Liv replied. And, as if on cue, the opening credits began to play. The couple settled in to watch.

After the first few minutes of the film, Alex looked back at Liv then back at the screen. "Do you know the name of that actress?" Alex asked quietly.

"Jayne Mansfield, I believe. She was pretty popular from the mid fifties to the late sixties. Why do you ask?"

Alex glanced at the screen, then back at Olivia. "Because if she were a brunette, you could almost pass as sisters."

Olivia laughed. "Funny you should mention that."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I first saw this movie after a couple of months after my mom told me about my conception. I noticed how Murdock was forcing Jerri to become famous. I compared it to my mom's situation; somehow it helped me understand it." Alex looked skeptical. "Hey, I was eight. I didn't know any better. Anyway, after that I started to compare Jerri to my mom. Jerri got her happy ending with Tom. My mom probably would have too, if her 'Tom' hadn't been a bottle of Jim Beam." There was no bitterness in her voice, just sadness.

"Liv," Alex hated to see her sad, but she knew there was nothing she could do about this situation.

"No, it's ok. I understand why she drank. I didn't agree, but I understood," Liv gave the blonde a small smile. "Anyway, after that this movie kind of became the way I dealt with tough situations in my life. When someone broke my heart, I would listen to the song that is coming up here in a minute. When I met you, I listened to the song towards the end."

"What's the song at the end?" Alex asked.

"You'll have to wait and see," Liv smiled and turned back to the screen. Knowing that she wouldn't get the information she wanted, Alex did the same and settled in to watch the rest of the movie.

They watched the movie and Alex was enjoying herself. As the movie was getting closer to the end, another song started to play. Alex smiled when she felt a soft kiss on her neck. "Dance with me?" Olivia asked, whispering in the blonde's ear.

Alex didn't even need to think about it. She stood up and helped the detective to her feet as well. Wrapping her arms around Olivia's neck as Liv placed hers around Alex's waist, Alex looked into the warm chocolate eye's of her girlfriend. "So this is the song you were talking about earlier?"

"Yep," Olivia responded with a smile. Alex smiled back, leaned her head on Olivia's shoulder, closed her eyes, and listened to the words.

_**Every time you kiss me  
**__**I get warm inside  
**__**Every time you hold me  
**__**There's a storm inside**_

_**Every time you're near  
**__**I fight the fire in me  
**__**You inspire in me  
**__**Such desire in me**_

_**Just when I get both feet  
**__**On the ground again  
**__**You appear and send me  
**__**Skyward bound again**_

_**Every time it happens  
**__**It's oh, so sublime  
**__**Yes, every time it happens  
**__**And it happens every time**_

_**Every time**_

_**Every time**_

The song ended and the couple sat back down to finish watching. When the credits rolled, they gathered their things and made their way towards the street to catch a cab back to Alex's apartment. There had been a steady arousal building all night, just with the sheer proximity of the woman with her, and she wasn't about to ignore it. As the cab came to a stop she turned to Olivia. "Come upstairs with me?"

Olivia had also felt the tension building between them and she knew exactly what would happen if she agreed. She knew that it wouldn't exactly be rushing, they had known each other for years, and while they had only been on one date, they had been in love with each other for God knows how long before that. Looking into crystal blue eyes, Olivia smiled and nodded. Alex did nothing to hide her excitement as they exited the cab, knowing the night was far from over.


	5. Chapter 5

For disclaimer's, please see chapter one.

* * *

Several hours later, Olivia awoke to the sound of her cell phone ringing. Instinctively, she moved to reach for it, only to find herself halfway pinned down. Olivia smiled as she remembered the events of just a few hours before. Before she could travel to far down that lane, however, she once again heard the reason for her interrupted sleep. Gently extricating herself from Alex so as not to wake her, Olivia got up to search for the offending object.

Finding her phone in a pile along with the rest of her clothes, Olivia answered it quietly and started to get dressed, knowing that a call at this time meant only one thing.

"Benson," she paused and listened to the caller. "I'll be right there." She snapped her phone shut and finished getting dressed. She turned back to the bed to see Alex clutching the pillow that she had just vacated, sleeping peacefully. Olivia didn't have the heart to wake her, so instead she left a note, explaining her absence.

Arriving on the scene, which happened to be in an alley next to a rather popular arcade that seemed vaguely familiar to her, Olivia made her way over to where she saw her partner, Eliot Stabler, talking with the responding officers. "What have we got?"

"22 year old Rosalie Williams, a student over at Columbia. She was found by those two over there," he gestured to two obviously shaken college co-eds.

"M.E. here yet?"

"En route," one of the officers explained.

Olivia nodded and made her way over to the two girls. "Hi, I'm Detective Olivia Benson. Can either of you tell me what happened?"

"We left the club after the called last call, and were on our way home when we noticed a foot sticking out onto the sidewalk," the first girl started.

"We thought she had just passed out and were going to make sure she was alright when I saw she was only half dressed. The first thing we did was call the police, but that is about as much as we know," the second girl finished apologetically.

"Alright, why don't you go with those two officers over there and they'll help you make your statements," Olivia said while pulling out a couple of her cards. "If you think of anything else please give me a call." The girls nodded and made their way over to the uniformed officers.

Olivia was heading towards the body when she saw the medical examiner pull up and Melinda Warner step out of the car. "What's up, doc?" she called, earning a chuckle from her partner and a glare from the still cranky M.E.

"Don't be a smartass, Benson. It's too early for any of your shtick. Where's the vic?" Warner asked. Olivia pointed in the direction and left Melinda to her work, knowing that she would time and some space to do her job before Olivia could ask any questions.

Instead she stood next to her partner, waiting for the question she knew he was going to ask. "You weren't at home," he stated.

"Nope," she replied. She had a small smile on her face now.

"Mind if I ask where you were?" He asked in his protective big brother voice.

"I had a date."

"Do I know her?" He was slightly stunned that his partner was developing a social life outside of drinks with the squad or a girl's night out.

"Yep," she replied with a full-fledged grin now.

"Holy shit," Eliot said with wide eyes. "You finally told Alex."

Olivia laughed. "Actually, she told me."

"Really?"

"Yeah," and she proceeded to tell him had happened last night and earlier that evening, but not going into too much detail about the date, much to Eliot's annoyance.

Twenty minutes later, after giving out all the information she would, Olivia approached the M.E. once more, this time with coffee in hand. "So what's the verdict," Eliot asked, looking down at the now sheet covered body.

"No sign of a cause of death, but I would guess asphyxia due to the discoloration of the lips and fingertips. There's bruising to the genitals and it looks as though fluids are present. I run a rape kit when we get her back to the lab. I'll also see if I can find traces of what was used for the carvings," Warner explained.

"Carvings?" Olivia asked, not having seen the victim before she was covered up.

Warner nodded and pulled back the sheet, revealing the top half of the young woman with the word "IT'S" carved across her chest. "There's no clotting so it was definitely done post mortem. I'll know more about what was used after I run a few tests."

The amount of violence one human being could inflict on another still amazed Olivia at some times. "Any idea on the time of death?" she heard Eliot ask.

"Rigor hasn't fully set in yet and based on the body temperature and levidity, I'd say four maybe five hours."

They both nodded and left Warner to finish up. Looking at her watch, Olivia decided to send Eliot home and head in to the precinct to get a start on the paper work and see what kind of information she could find on Rosalie Williams.

Hours later, Olivia was still at her desk, not much further than she was when she started. Looking at the clock, Olivia decided to head out. It was still technically her day off and there was not a whole lot she could do until she got the M.E.'s report and the Administration office at Columbia opened up tomorrow morning. Olivia grabbed one of her extra sets of clothing out of her locker and took off towards the locker room. And, with it being before ten, she still had a chance to take Alex to breakfast to make up for not being there this morning.

When Alex first woke up, she was only mildly disappointed. She knew getting involved with Olivia would mean interrupted nights. She was possibly more upset about the fact that she didn't get a chance to see her before she left, than the fact she had to leave.

Currently she was sitting on her couch debating whether or not to get breakfast of just have another cup of coffee. Deciding on the coffee, Alex started to make her way to the kitchen at the same time her phone started to ring.

Looking at the caller id, Alex couldn't help but smile. "Morning, Beautiful."

Olivia laughed. "Hey. How are you doing this morning?"

"Well, aside from the fact that I woke up alone, I am much better now," Alex said

"If it makes you feel any better, I didn't want to answer the phone."

"Maybe a little," Alex replied. "To tell you the truth, I didn't even hear it ring."

"That's because someone was so anxious to get undressed last night, it barely made it into the bedroom," Olivia laughed again.

"Hey, is it my fault that you make damn near impossible to not want to touch you when we aren't in public? Now that I am able to, I plan on doing just that every chance I can," Alex replied as if it were the most logical thing in the world.

"Thanks for the heads up. I was actually calling to see if you wanted to join me for breakfast."

As if waiting for Olivia, Alex's hunger made itself known. "That sounds great. If you give me twenty minutes, I could meet you somewhere."

"Or, you could open your door and I'll wait for you on your couch."

Alex walked over to the door and slowly opened. Seeing Olivia standing there grinning, she snapped her phone shut, and leaned forward to meet Olivia in a good morning kiss.

"Hi," Alex said after pulling away. Olivia smiled in return. "So, what happened? The perp decided he couldn't live with the guilt and he turned himself in?" she joked as she stepped out of Olivia's embrace and made her way towards the bedroom.

"Not exactly," Olivia replied, following right behind. "Everywhere I need to go to get information won't be open until tomorrow morning and Warner needs time to process everything before I can get any information from her, so I decided I would file my report and then take my gorgeous girlfriend out for breakfast."

As Alex finished pulling on her shirt, she looked over at Olivia and beamed. "So, I'm your girlfriend now?"

Olivia smiled in return. "Well yeah. We both knew that was where this was heading, so I just decided to get it out of the way and be the first to voice the title."

"Good, now the next time we see my mom, I can tell her the good news," Alex replied as she pulled on her shoes.

Olivia laughed. Noticing Alex was ready, she motioned towards the door. "Come on. Let's go get some food and I'll tell you about the case." They walked out of the apartment and made their way down to a café about a block away.

After they were seated, Olivia decided to tell Alex more about the victim than the crime itself. "This was a good kid," Olivia started. "Senior year over at Columbia, not so much as a parking ticket. I can't believe it was just a case of wrong place, wrong time. With what the perp did, it almost seems personal."

"You think maybe it's someone from one of her classes?" Alex asked.

"Maybe," Liv responded. "I'm going to go over to administration tomorrow and see if I can get a schedule. If Reese is working, I probably won't even need a court order."

"Is this another 'Uncle' that gave you a strange nickname?" Alex asked, amused

"Nope. She is a 'Grandma' who wouldn't call me anything except baby girl," Olivia laughed, causing Alex to do the same.

"How do you know her?" Alex asked after she had calmed down.

"I used to spend a lot of time in the administration office. She is one of the secretaries,"

"Didn't you go to Sienna?" Alex asked, clearly confused as to why Olivia would spend so much time in another administration office.

"Yeah, but my mom taught English courses at Columbia," Olivia explained. "When I was a kid, she usually had classes that didn't get over until after I got out of school. She didn't want me to be alone for that long so Benny would pick me up from school and drop me off at the administration building on his way to work. The secretaries would look after me until my mom came in. When I was older and my mom did her drinking in the bars instead of at home, I still dropped by two or three times a week, just to say hi. I met a lot of people just sitting in those chairs including…" Olivia trailed off. Suddenly her eyes went wide. "Jesus!" she exclaimed.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked, her voice thick with worry.

"I just realized why the crime scene seemed so familiar," Olivia explained.

"You mean the arcade?"

Olivia nodded. "It was where my fiancé and I had our first date."

"Fiancé?!" Now it was Alex's turn to be surprised.

"I never told you this story?" Olivia chuckled.

Alex shook her head. "This would definitely be one that you left out."

"When I was sixteen, I started dating one of my mom's students," Olivia began. "He was a senior, he was twenty-one years old. And he asked me to marry him. I said yes because I wanted to get away from my mother. She found out and she told me that if I didn't stop seeing him, that she would have him kicked out of college. Obviously I listened."

"Thank God," Alex commented.

Olivia smirked. "Well, I figured I wasn't as emotionally attached as I should be if we were going to get married and it made it easier to end. That and I found myself checking out the cheerleaders more often that his frat brothers."

"Do you happen to remember those cheerleaders' names?" Alex asked as they were heading out of the café.

"Before I answer that, are you going to tell me why?" Liv asked cautiously.

Alex smirked. "Because I want to send them flowers for showing you the light."

The couple was reduced to laughter as they took off once again for the park.


	6. Chapter 6

For disclaimer, please see chapter one.

* * *

Alex was cuddled into Olivia's side with her head on her shoulder as they say lounging by a tree near the pond. For the entire walk from the café to where they now sat, Alex had been quiet, a fact that was not lost on Liv.

"You ok?" Liv asked. "You seem kind of quiet."

"It's nothing. I'm just thinking," Alex replied.

"I'll listen if you want to talk about it."

Alex smiled. "You'll think it's silly."

"I promise I won't," Olivia chuckled.

"Alright, but don't say didn't warn you," Alex sighed. "It's just that meeting Benny, hearing you talk about Reese, and listening to some of your stories about your childhood made me realize that I'm jealous."

"Of me?" Olivia asked, skeptically

"Yeah. You had this amazing and diverse group of people around when you were growing up," Alex explained. "When I was growing up all of my parents' friends were exactly like my parents and their kids were just as bad. They all thought just because they have money they're better than everyone else."

Olivia placed a kiss on Alex's temple. "How come you turned out so well then?" she asked.

"My parents were so busy with charities and work that I was only with the house staff a lot. On the weekends some of them would bring their kids with them. I got to play outside with them and run around. The only thing my friends who were 'socially acceptable' for me to play with wanted to do was stay inside and play tea party and dress up. They would even go so far as to try and copy their parents' conversations about Wall Street. I wanted friends who were my age not getting ready to turn forty."

For seemingly no apparent reason, Olivia burst out laughing. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "I just imagined a five year old Alex sitting in a pretty pink princess dress, wearing white gloves and a tiara, sipping tea and eating cookies, passing around the latest gossip."

"Don't laugh, Detective. Those were some of the most boring play dates I've ever had," Alex smirked. "When I was finally sent to boarding school during high school, I would only hang out with the kids who were there on scholarship. They were like the kids I liked to play with growing up."

"Do yo still talk with any of them?"

"I lost touch with a lot of them, but there are a few that I see every now and then. We do a little catching up and a lot of reminiscing. High School was a lot of fun," Alex smiled. "I even had my heart broken for the first time."

"Why exactly smiling about having a broken heart?" Olivia asked.

"Cause she helped me narrow down my type," Alex smirked.

"She?"

"Kelsi Corenth. She was tall with red hair and bright green eyes, but she could be moody as hell," Alex explained. "We dated for about six months during our junior year, and you know in high school that is almost the equivalent of marriage," Alex paused again, letting out a small giggle. "We weren't blatant about it or anything, but the people close to us knew we were together. Anyway, the smallest thing would set Kelsi off. Towards the end we were fighting all the time. We didn't have to end ourselves though. Our parents took care of that for us."

"They found out and didn't approve?" Olivia guessed.

"Not exactly," Alex stated. "Kelsi's dad was military and they were transferring him to a base in Germany. Her parents didn't want so far away so she had to go with them. Even though things were so bad between us, it still hurt for it to end. After she left, I told my parents about us. They told me they were proud of me for being strong enough to be myself."

"How exactly did Kelsi help you narrow down your type though?" Liv asked turning her head to look at Alex.

Alex chuckled and turned her head, now facing Olivia. "I decided red heads were too moody for my taste. I started going after the brunettes, especially the ones with warm brown eyes," Alex smiled and leaned forward to kiss Olivia.

Olivia pulled away a short time later and smiled. "You wouldn't happen to know her address now would you?" Olivia asked innocently.

"Why do ask detective," Alex asked, remembering what they had discussed earlier.

"Cause I think I owe her two bouquets of flowers," Olivia answered.

Alex was actually confused now. "Why would you need to send her two?"

"One for showing you the light and the second for shifting you preference," Liv responded.

Alex's expression changed from confused to mischievous. "One will do just fine, sweetheart." Now it was Olivia's turn to be confused. "_I_ showed_ her_ the light, thank-you very much."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. She was dating the captain of the football team until I came along. If it hadn't been for me, she would most likely be Mrs. Trevor Langon today," Alex responded with a smug smile.

"As much as I would like to listen to this story, my legs are starting to fall asleep," Olivia stated. "Why don't we go back to your apartment, maybe put on a movie, and you can explain it from the comfort of the sofa?"

"Sounds like a very good idea," Alex responded, getting to her feet. She helped Olivia up and they made their way back to Alex's.

Settling into the couch in much the same position they had been in at the park, Alex began to tell Olivia about the whole situation with Trevor. "Like I said before, Kelsi was originally dating Trevor. I was able to charm her enough to break up with him and date me instead. He has hated me ever since. It's a shame our fathers are such good friends. They were always invited over for dinner. Needless to say, the adults did all the talking. After Kelsi left, he has tried to beat me at everything, but he never has," Alex grinned.

"If you two are on such bad terms, then what was up with that date?" Olivia asked, proud that she kept her voice free of jealousy.

"That wasn't a date," Alex stated darkly, but Olivia knew it wasn't directed towards her. "Trevor Langon is the most unmitigated and comprehensive ass, on the planet. Our fathers were entertaining the possibility of a merger between their companies and we met to discuss the benefits and costs. He knew how I felt about you, so he decided he try and ruin my chances by making the situation seem far more intimate than it was. After he heard your comment about dining with the enemy, he figured he had finally beaten me at something. That reminds me," Alex trailed off.

Before Olivia could ask, she felt Alex pinch her thigh. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"That," started with an amused smile on her face, "was making him and me think that he had beaten me in something."

Olivia laughed. "I couldn't help it. I was jealous as hell."

"You know, I kind of like it when you get all possessive," Alex said leaning into Olivia, gently nipping on her ear.

"Is that so?" Olivia breathed.

"Uh huh," Alex responded as she continued to trail soft kisses along Olivia's jaw line.

"Then what would you say to me getting a little possessive right now?"

Leaning back slightly, Alex smiled at Olivia. "I'd say race you to the bedroom."


	7. Chapter 7

For disclaimers, see chapter one

* * *

Walking into the precinct the next morning, Olivia was feeling better than she has in a long time. She had had such a relaxing weekend with Alex that it almost mad her forget about the newest case, almost.

She got to her desk and noticed that she had a message saying that the lad results were in. Grabbing a quick cup of coffee, Olivia made her way to the M.E.'s office.

"Morning, Melinda," Olivia greeted as she stepped into the lab.

Looking up, Warner smiled. "Why am I not surprised you would be the first one to get the message?"

"Creature of habit I suppose," Olivia shrugged. "What did you find?"

"My original conclusion was correct. The petechial hemorrhaging around the eyes indicates she was smothered. The fibers around her mouth and nose show it was the jacket that was found next to her."

"The bastard used her own jacket?" Olivia asked.

"I'm afraid so. The rape kit was positive for hair and fluids. It's not in the system, but if you bring me a suspect, I can match it."

Olivia nodded. "What about the tool responsible for this handiwork?" Liv asked, gesturing to the carving in the young woman's chest?"

"My best guess, is an instrument used for wood working," Warner replied.

"Which means you can probably get them anywhere," Olivia sighed. "Alright, call me if you find anything else. I'll probably be at Columbia for most of the morning, but I'll have my cell." Warner nodded and Olivia went back to the precinct.

Once back in the bull pen, Olivia saw that the rest of the team had arrived. Eliot filled Munch, Fin, and Cragen in on the new case and Olivia went over the M.E.'s report. When they had filled everyone in, they looked at Cragen, silently asking where he wanted them to start.

"Because it's our only lead, why don't all of you head over to Columbia and see what you can find." They all nodded and made their way towards the campus.

As they neared the administration building, Olivia told the boys she would go in and get the schedule by herself. They all agreed not, wanting to deal bureaucrats this early in the morning. She walked into the building she smiled when the woman behind the desk saw her approach.

"Baby girl!" Reese all but shouted as she stood and drew Olivia into a big hug. "How are you doing?" she asked, releasing Olivia and returning to the other side of the desk.

"Can't complain. What about you?"

"I'd be better if a certain someone would visit more often," Reese teased.

"I'm sorry, Reese. I've been busy lately," Olivia apologized.

"I know. I've seen you're name in the paper, it seems, every other week. So what brings you out here today?"

"Unfortunately a case," Olivia explained. "I'm going to need the class schedule for Rosalie Williams."

"Sure. Give me a second." Reese turned to her computer and pulled up Rosalie's class information. She handed it over to Olivia and made her promise to visit again under more pleasant circumstances.

Returning to the boys, Olivia looked down at the class schedule. "Huh," she said when she saw one of the classes.

"What's up Liv?"

"Nothing, just that she's taking one of the classes my mom used to teach," she explained. "Come on. You guys take these two, El and I will take the other two. Maybe we'll be able to get out of here before lunch."

True to word, the detectives were done canvassing the classes by lunch time. They hadn't turned up anything they didn't already know. Rosalie was a good student. She had good grades and was majoring in English. She would have graduated at the end of the semester.

Walking back into the precinct, Olivia felt her phone buzz, signaling a text message. Opening her phone, she was mildly disappointed with the contents. "_Can't make lunch today, I'm needed in chambers. Love you—A._" She had just decided to go back to her desk and work through lunch when her phone rang.

"Benson."

"Jeez, Liv, don't sound too excited to hear from me," came the southern tones of Abbie Carmichael.

"Hey, Abbie. What's up?"

"Well, rumor has it that a certain blonde hair, blue eye Bureau Chief is stuck in chambers. I wanted to know if you wanted to take a reassigned to New York Assistant U.S. Attorney out to lunch. I want to hear about this date."

Olivia laughed. "Sure, why not. Meet me at the diner across from the court house in ten?"

"I'll be there."

"Olivia turned back around, walked out of the precinct and made her way to the diner. She spotted Abbie right away and made her way over to the table.

Because she always gets the same thing from this particular diner whenever she eats there, Abbie had already ordered. They sat down to eat, while Olivia filled Abbie in on how she spent Saturday night. When she finished, she could tell that Abbie was happy for them, but something else was on her mind.

"Why do I get the feeling you didn't just invite me out to lunch to get the dirt on my date?"

"You're happy right?" Abbie asked, temporarily avoiding Olivia's question. "I mean now that you and Alex have gone from friends to lovers, there's no awkwardness?"

"I know it's only been a couple of days, but I couldn't be happier," Olivia responded. "If anything, it's less awkward. Now we don't have to worry about saying something that could be taken the wrong way, or calculate every touch that could be misinterpreted. What's brought this on Abbie?"

Abbie sighed. "I'm pretty sure I'm doing the same dance with one of my friends that you and Alex have been doing for the past couple of years. I don't particularly want to sing my feelings in front of a crowded bar, so I thought I would ask you what I should do."

"Abbie?"

"Yeah?"

"Just ask Casey out," Olivia smiled.

"How did you know who I was talking about?" Abbie asked, shocked that she had been figured out so easily.

"Always seem to get this light in your eyes when you see her. You had the same light when you were talking just now." Olivia explained.

"Anyone ever tell you you're a great detective?"

"Once or twice," Olivia smirked. "Seriously though, just ask her out."

"How can you be so sure she'll say yes?" Abbie asked, not ready to give in yet.

"Why is it that people in love can't seem to see it for themselves? Alex and I couldn't see it and now the two of you," Olivia sighed. "She gives you the same lingering looks you give her when you think no one is looking."

"If no one is looking, then how do you know this?"

"It's my job to notice small things," Olivia chuckled. "Call her."

"Now?"

"If you don't do it now, with me sitting here, you're going to chicken out."

As Abbie went to dial her phone, Olivia's rang. "Benson," she answered. "Alright. I'll be right there." She turned to see Abbie with the phone pressed to her ear. "I'll call you in an hour to find out what happened." Abbie nodded and Olivia walked out of the diner.


	8. Chapter 8

For disclaimers please see chapter one.

* * *

Arriving on the scene at a small pizzeria not for from the Columbia campus, Olivia noticed it was one her friends from the administration office used to take her for dinner if her mom was running late with her students. It also became a hangout for her and her friends that went to Columbia as she got older.

She had beaten her partner there and tried to find the responding officers. She also took note that Warner was already going over the body. "What happened?" Olivia asked as she approached the uniformed officers.

"Got a call from the manager saying there had been a murder in the bathroom. We get here see that her shirt is open and her bra had been cut. That's when we called you," he explained.

Olivia noticed Eliot's car pull up. She thanked the officer and went to fill Eliot in.

"Why don't I go talk to the manager while you go talk to Warner?" He suggested after being filled in. Olivia nodded and made her way over to the M.E.

"I'm pretty sure you're looking for the same man," Warner said as Olivia entered the bathroom. "Signs are pointing the same cause of death. Fluids are present so I'll be able to compare them to the first victim when I get back to the lab. The only thing different this time is the carving."

"What does it say this time?"

Warner pulled back the sheet to reveal "PAYBACK" carved across the young woman's chest. Before Olivia could respond Eliot came into the bathroom.

"Vic's name is Maggie Cahill. 19 years old and also a student from Columbia," Eliot announced. "Manager said she saw a man about 6 feet tall walk out of the women's bathroom and wanted to see if anything was wrong. That's when she found the body and called the police."

"I think it's time to call Huang and see if we can get a profile on this guy. I've got a feeling this is personal for him." The duo made their way out of the restaurant and back the precinct. Olivia had a suspicion it had more to do with the locations than the girls, and if it was for the reason she thought, she hoped to God she was wrong.

Meanwhile, at the D.A.'s office a slightly frazzled Casey Novak entered Alex's office.

"Hey Case. You ok?" Alex asked, concerned.

"I'm not sure," Casey said as she sat in one of the client chairs. "I think Abbie just asked me out on a date."

Alex smiled for her friends, happy that one of them had finally wised up. "So what's the problem?" She asked. "I thought you liked Abbie."

"I do," Casey sighed. "That's the problem."

"I don't understand."

"What if it's not a date? What if she's just bored and she just wants some company? Then I would be getting my hopes up and could possibly embarrass the both of us," Casey replied frantically.

"Ok. First, calm down," Alex instructed. She waited until after Casey had taken a few deep breaths. "Now tell me how the conversation went."

"Well she called me up and asked if I wanted to do something Friday night. She said it wouldn't be anything fancy, probably just beer and pizza at her place."

Alex took a moment to let the facts sink in and then approached it like she would any other case. "First, Friday night is usually date night. Abbie is gorgeous and could go out with anyone she wants and she wants to hang out with you. Second, neither one of you is much for the restaurant scene and a pizza place screams adolescent for a date. She knows this which is why she suggested her apartment."

"I get that, but it doesn't mean that she just wants to hang out," Casey shot back.

"Alright, answer me this: how did she sound on the phone?"

Casey thought about it for a moment. "She actually sounded kind of nervous."

"And why would she be nervous if she just wanted to hang out?" Alex smiled.

Casey sat and let Alex's question sink in. She looked back at her friend and smiled. "Thanks Alex."

"Not a problem," she responded. "I figured you listened to me rant about Liv enough times the least I could do was try and calm you down when your own tall, dark, and gorgeous woman was making a move."

Casey laughed. "Hands off, Cabot. This one's mine."

"Trust me, Liv is all the tall, dark, and gorgeous I need," Alex smirked. Casey laughed again and made her way back to her own office.

Back in the squad room the detectives were filling George Huang on what they knew so far. Munch and Fin had looked into the class schedule, but didn't see any connections. Olivia's fear of what the connection could be was getting stronger when she noticed that Maggie had 

been taking a poetry class. Another class that her mother used to teach. She didn't want to say anything yet and sound paranoid. She would talk to Alex about it first and see what she thought.

"It sounds to me like this man is targeting something specific. I don't think it's so much about the girls, as it is the school or possibly the English program itself. The messages obviously mean that this is a revenge of some kind," Huang explained.

"Any ideas on what to look for?" Eliot asked.

"Your suspect is going to be calm. He's meticulous in how he plans the attacks. The way the words are shaped suggest that he had a steady hand as he was doing it. Normal scare tactics won't work on him," Huang paused, as it in thought. "Whoever he is targeting hurt him badly psychologically and now he wants to hurt them just as bad only physically. That could mean going after loved ones when he finally goes for a direct attack on his intended target."

Thinking of Alex, Olivia knew she couldn't wait to voice her theory. "I think I know who is being targeted." Everyone looked at her in surprised expectation, awaiting an answer. "Me."

"Why do you think that, Olivia?" George asked.

"There is no noticeable connection between the victims besides the fact they are both Columbia students, but I noticed that they were both students in English courses that my mother used to teach. The crime scenes are also connected," she paused to look into the faces of five shocked men. "I had my first date with a man I was going to marry at the arcade and the pizzeria was where my friends and I would hang out all the time."

The room had gone silent. "Doc?" Cragen said, as if asking if this could be true.

"Olivia do you have an idea of who you think it could be?" Huang asked, momentarily side stepping Cragen's question.

"There's a very good chance it is my ex-fiancé," she said. She then told them about the brief relationship and how it ended.

"I think this theory could very possibly be true," Huang began. "In his mind, by attack the girls in the English classes your mother taught, he is getting his revenge on her for making you end the relationship. He rapes them to them to get your attention. It wouldn't be difficult to figure out that you work in the Special Victims Unit. It would only take a trip to the periodicals at the public library."

Before anyone could respond, Olivia's phone rang once again. "Benson…we'll be right there." She hung up and looked at the men in front of her as they stared back at her expectantly. "That was Warner," she said, looking at Eliot. "She's got something she needs to show us."


	9. Chapter 9

For disclaimers please see chapter one

* * *

Olivia and Eliot walked into the lab and were met by an almost apologetic looking Melinda Warner. "Why do I get the feeling you're going to tell us something we don't want to here?" Olivia asked.

"Before I tell you what I've found, could you tell me what your theories are for this case?" Olivia and Eliot filled her in on what had been talked about in the squad room. As they finished, the look on Warner's face was not helping calm Olivia's nerves. "That's what I was afraid of," Warner responded. "I found dried blood on the side of your second victim's neck. When I examined her neck, I noticed a small 'ns' on the skin, almost identical to the way the other words were written. On a whim I checked the same spot on the neck your first victim. There I found 'Be.' If your theory is correct, then I am almost positive that there will be another victim and I'll find an 'on' on the neck."

Eliot and Olivia nodded, thanked Warner for the information, and walked out of the lab. Feeling slightly overwhelmed, Olivia turned to Eliot. "I'm going to go for a walk," she explained. "Do me a favor and have Munch and Fin look up any information they can on Dillon Mathews."

Eliot nodded. "Are you ok?"

"I'll be fine," she sighed. "I just need to think some about some things. Maybe I'll be able to figure out where he is going to do next."

Eliot returned the squad room while Olivia walked out of the precinct. Usually, if she needed to think about a case, there was a bench she liked to go to in Central Park. It was secluded and gave her the chance to be alone to sort out her thoughts. Now, however, she decided she didn't want to be alone. Without realizing it, she had walked the short distance to the D.A.'s office. She thought it was fitting. Alex deserved to know what was going on.

Taking the elevator to the floor on which Alex's office was located, Olivia tried to think of the best way to tell Alex what was going on. Standing outside, the office door, the best thing Olivia had come up with was "Hey Alex. There's a psychopath targeting me in some twisted form of revenge, but don't be too worried about it. We still on for dinner tonight?" She sighed and knocked on the door.

"Come in," she heard Alex call.

Alex looked up as she heard the door close and smiled when she saw Olivia. "Hey," she said brightly. "I wasn't expecting to see you until later. How was lunch?"

Olivia was just about to answer when her phone alerted her to a text message. "_Thanks for the advice—Abbie._" Olivia smiled and looked up at Alex and noticed the questioning gaze. "Lunch was good. Abbie and I went to the diner across the street," she explained. "She wanted to get some advice about dating a best friend."

"So you're the reason Casey came in here freaking out earlier?" Alex smiled.

Olivia gave a faint smile and sat down in one of the client chairs, grateful for the distraction from the real reason she came to see Alex. "Probably. Did she say what Abbie had planned?"

"Apparently they are doing something low key at Abbie's apartment. Casey mentioned something about beer and pizza. You're suggestion I'm guessing?" Alex smiled.

"Actually no," Olivia responded. "I only made her make the call. But it's a good idea. It takes the pressure off of the whole romantic aspect and they can get used to the idea of possibly being more than friends in a comfortable setting."

"I'm glad one of them finally decided to address what is there," Alex said. "So what's up with the visit? Don't get me wrong, I am very glad to see you, but it couldn't just be to tell me about Abbie and Casey."

Olivia hesitated, not quite sure how to answer just yet. She didn't want to scare Alex, but she also didn't want to lie about it.

"Liv?" Alex asked. She noticed the hesitation and knew something wasn't right.

Olivia took a deep breath before she responded. Knowing Alex would be able to tell if she wasn't completely honest, she decided to just give her the facts. "We think that the man responsible for these murders is my ex-fiancé Dillon Mathews and that I am the actual target. Both crime scenes held some kind of significance to our relationship. We had our first date at the arcade and we spent most of our time at the pizzeria. Warner found new markings on the bodies, indicating that there will be at least one more victim if we don't find him in time. The new markings, so far, are 'Bens.' If I'm right about this then the next letters will be 'on' and I have no idea how to prevent it."

Alex's face was void of any expression as Olivia finished. She wasn't sure if she should be angry that she was just now hearing that her lover was in danger, or scared that her lover was actually in danger. "How long have you known about this?"

"I had a feeling when I went to the second crime scene. I was going to talk to you about it first and see if you thought I was just being paranoid. When we couldn't figure out a connection besides both girls were Columbia students, I looked at Maggie Cahill's schedule and saw that she had also been in a class that my mother used to teach and I knew I had to tell the squad about my theory."

"Are you in any immediate danger?" Alex asked, her voice sounding as worried as she felt.

"No, not yet at least. I just can't figure out why he doesn't just come after me or why he is even doing it," Olivia sighed.

"I can," Alex said. Olivia looked at her expectantly. "He knows that you would put the safety of the victims and your loved ones above your own. By going after them he is making this all the more painful for you. And as for why, I'm guessing he didn't really like the fact that you broke up with him."

"No, he didn't. He kept begging me not to leave him. He had already planned the wedding by then, even though I had told him we were going to wait that for a while. Why would he wait all this time to get payback?"

"I can't answer that, Liv. Maybe something will turn up when you get his background information."

Olivia nodded and stood to leave. "I think I'll head back to the precinct and see what the boys were able to dig up." When she was almost to the office door, she turned back to look at Alex. "Do me a favor?"

"Of course," Alex responded.

"Be careful," Olivia pleaded. "I don't know what I would do if anything were to happen to you because of me."

Alex promised that she would do her best to stay safe. "Go get this asshole, Liv." She watched as Olivia walked out of the office, scared that now that everything that had happened in the past week would be snatched away.


	10. Chapter 10

For disclaimers please see chapter one

Olivia had barely stepped into the squad room when she felt Eliot's hand on her arm, dragging her over to the board to be briefed on what Munch had found.

"I don't know what you did to this boy Liv," Munch started, "but you really did a number on him."

"What are you talking about?" Olivia asked.

"Dillon Mathews was an English student at Columbia University almost twenty years ago. He never got a chance to graduate though because on January 24th of his senior year, his parents had him committed to Bellevue after an attempted suicide, saying he didn't want to live without his Baby Doll," Munch smirked as Olivia groaned.

"I told him never to call me that."

"I went down to Bellevue and talked to one of the doctors," Fin said. "They said it took a very long time, but they were finally able to convince him that hurting himself wasn't going to do him any good. Apparently he started to behave and they believed he was well enough to be released. He was released about three months ago and no one has heard from him since."

"A search warrant won't help because his last known address is for the apartment he rented while on campus."

Olivia was getting a migraine and it was becoming difficult not to show her frustration, something Cragen picked up on. "Alright everyone, it doesn't look like we are going to get anywhere else tonight so why don't you all head out," he all but ordered. He turned and looked at Olivia. "Olivia, I need you to try and come up with places that might have had some important significance to this guy." Olivia nodded and walked, gathered her things, and walked out of the precinct. The only thing she wanted to do right now was spend a relaxing evening with her girlfriend and try and forget that any of this was actually her life. At least for a little while.

Olivia was now sitting at her desk Friday morning still trying to think of significant places from her past romance. As monumental as it had seemed when she was a teenager, she realized the engagement couldn't have been that special if she had forgotten all of details that surrounded it. She had even enlisted the Alex's help even thought they had not known each other then. Most of Monday night was spent trying to think of places around the campus or her mother's old apartment that could have meant something at the time. Even now, three days later she still had nothing. She was still obsessing over it when she heard her partner call her name.

"Liv, you alright?" He asked. He had been worried about her. Knowing that she was in danger didn't sit well with him. He knew that he couldn't keep an eye on her all the time and he learned his lesson after the Eric Plummer case not to force a protective detail on her.

"I'm fine El," she replied. "I just can't seem to think of any place that I would view as important to a relationship that ended twenty years ago. It's like I can only remember the place after someone says the name or I see it again"

"Hey you want to try something different for lunch today?" He asked knowing there wasn't much he could do to help her situation. "We could try that Italian place over by the Columbia campus. I think it's called _Max_ or something like that. I don't know, maybe it will help you jog your memory."

Olivia's head shot up at the name of the restaurant. "What did you just say?"

"Uh…_Max_?"

Olivia jumped out of her chair and pulled on her coat. "Come on," Olivia said.

"Where are we going and why?" Eliot asked.

"We are going to check out that restaurant," Olivia explained. "That's where he proposed."

The drive to the restaurant was tense. Olivia was half hoping to catch the bastard in the act. It would give her a reason to take some of her frustration out on him. Eliot pulled into the parking lot and they exited the car. They decided to check the alleys first, as anything inside would have been found and reported by now.

Walking into the alley behind _Max_, Olivia couldn't believe her luck, good and bad in this case. There, kneeling over what appeared to be an unmoving body, was a young man, no more than 30 with what appeared to be some kind of carving tool. Olivia knew this wasn't who they were actually looking for, but he was doing a hell of a job implicating himself as an accomplice.

"Police! Let me see your hands," she demanded. The man's head shot up and his eyes widened as he saw who had shouted at him. Jumping to his feet, he took off down the alley. Olivia took off after him, cursing under her breath. Knowing that the perp couldn't get out of the back alley in that direction and that he would be in the way more than he would help right now, Eliot stayed behind to check for a pulse and some id. Unfortunately they had been too late for the girl. He noticed "TIME" was scrawled across the chest this time. Taking out a glove from his pocket he reached down for her purse, pulled out her license and started to jog down the alley to catch up with his partner.

Olivia, for her part, had managed to catch up with the suspect very easily. As he was trying to scale the fence at the end of the alley, she was able to catch his foot and pull him off. She slammed him up against the fence and brought his hands behind his back as Eliot came up beside her.

"Vic's name is Tess Montgomery," Eliot announced.

"What's your name?" Olivia asked the man as she cuffed his hands behind his back.

"Screw you!" He spat, still trying to struggle against the cuffs.

"Screw you; you're under arrest for being an accomplice in the rape and murder of Tess Montgomery until we nail you for Rosalie Williams and Maggie Cahill." Olivia sneered.

"I didn't do anything," he pleaded.

"You have the right to remain silent. If you give up that right, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law," she continued, ignoring his pleas. "You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?" She asked, leading him over to the car.

"Yeah, but I don't need them. I didn't do anything."

Pushing him into the back seat she looked at him and asked "if you didn't do anything, then why'd you run?" With that she closed the door, got into the passenger seat, and Eliot drove them back to the precinct.

Meanwhile, Alex was sitting in her office attempting to think of anything she could do to help her lover. They hadn't been able to think of important places, or help Olivia remember much of the relationship at all. She knew the case was eating away at Olivia, but there was nothing Alex could think of to help. The ringing of her phone startled her out of her thoughts.

"Cabot."

"Ms. Cabot, my name is Austin Johnson and I am calling on behalf of Halwarth's Insurance Company," he explained. "Unfortunately, a pipe burst in your apartment building this morning and there seems to be some damage to your apartment. Your building manger would appreciate it if you could come down and make a claim as soon as possible."

Alex inwardly groaned. She really didn't want to deal with this on top of everything else. On the other hand, if there was any damage to her apartment then she couldn't very well stay there while it was being repaired. That would mean that she would just have to stay at Olivia's, to help with the case of course. Alex smiled at that particular silver lining. "I could come down now if it's not too soon," Alex finally replied, knowing all she had today was paper work.

"Now would be perfect. Shall I expect you in say twenty minutes?"

"Yes, I should be able to make it by then."

"I appreciate it, Ms. Cabot. I will see you soon," the caller smiled an evil smile. So far things were going exactly according to plan.


	11. Chapter 11

For disclaimers please see chapter one.

Inside the interrogation room, their suspect, whose name they had learned was RJ or Richard Jefferson, was nervously waiting for the detectives returned. Olivia, Eliot, Cragen, and Huang were observing his behavior on the other side of the glass.

"I don't think he was a very large part of this," Huang commented, taking in the nervousness RJ was exhibiting.

"What are you talking about, doc?" Eliot asked in disbelief. From the behavior alone, this guy definitely had something to confess to.

"He's too nervous. William's has been planning this for at least three months. He would make sure that any accomplice would be able to know what to do if they were arrested. This man is too shifty. He definitely had a role, but I don't think he knew exactly what was going on.

"Ok, how do we break him?" Olivia asked.

"I think standard intimidation should work," George smiled.

Eliot and Olivia made their way into the interrogation room. RJ's eyes went as wide as saucers. "If that's the guy that's questioning me," he said, nodding in Eliot's direction, "I definitely want my lawyer."

Olivia smiled, knowing they wouldn't have to do much to intimidate him. "Don't worry. As long as you cooperate, I'll keep him on his leash."

"I swear I didn't do anything do anything," RJ pleaded once again.

"Then you want to tell us what you were doing in that alley, standing over a dead body, with a tool that held the DNA of not one but two other victims?" Olivia asked.

"Some guy said he'd give me 1000 if I left that tool thing and a letter he gave me on the body. I was getting ready to leave when you guys showed up so I ran."

"Do you still have the letter?" Eliot asked.

"Yeah sure," he said as he started to dig around in his pockets. "Here you go."

Olivia took the letter and opened it up to read. When she what was written she let out an involuntary gasp.

_Dear Baby Doll,_

_I know it's been a long time, but you and I are going to talk. I want you to meet me at __**the**__ church and don't tell me you don't know which one. Meet me there at eight tonight. Come alone, no back up. Just to make sure you don't get any ideas, I've invited Blondie to join us. But don't worry I'll make sure she has a ride_

Hearing the gasp, Eliot turned to Olivia. "What's wrong, Liv?"

She didn't answer him. Instead she rushed out of the room and went directly to her phone, having left it on her desk before the interrogation began. She dialed all of Alex's numbers, receiving the voice-mail each time. By now she was panicking. Pacing the floor, she didn't see the others reenter the squad room.

"For God's sake, Olivia. Calm down and tell us what's going on," Cragen demanded.

Olivia couldn't speak. Instead she just handed over the letter that was still clutched in her hand. She watched as Cragen, Eliot and George all read the letter, their eyes widening in shock while they read.

"He's got to be kidding, right?" Eliot asked. "We aren't going to send you in there alone."

"Yes you are," Olivia stated. "When I get there I will call for back up just before I go inside. He only said I couldn't show up alone he never said I had to stay that way. Just make sure you have team on standby, ready to go when my call comes through." The men nodded and Olivia walked out of the precinct. She had to go and collect her thoughts. She would need everything she could to get both herself and Alex out of this safely.

Alex woke up with a splitting headache, hands tied together, trying to remember how she had gotten that way. The last thing she remembered was getting the call about the insurance claim. She had driven down to her building to meet with the insurance agent. As she was walking passed the small alley next to her building, she felt a dull thud against the back of her skull, and now this.

She looked around, trying to figure out where she was. It was dark, so it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. Finally being able to look around more clearly, she noticed the crucifixes on the walls and the candles along the walls. She knew she was in a church, she just didn't know why. As she started to move around, she heard a noise, as though someone had just entered the room. Looking up she stared into the hate filled eyes of the man who attacked her.

"Make yourself comfortable," he grinned menacingly. "We're going to have company soon."

Olivia stepped out of her car feeling nervous. It was five to eight and she stood outside of the student chapel on the Columbia University campus. She had been involved in hostage negotiations before, but she always had back right there with her, not twenty minutes away on the best days without traffic. This was also the first time that it was intensely personal.

She glanced at her watch one more time and pulled out her radio. "This is Detective Olivia Benson, badge number 44015. I'm in position and am requesting back up," she rattled off the address and thought of why she was here. She could feel the anger and hate towards the man 

in there holding the woman she loved hostage. "Tell them to bring a bus." She turned the radio off, tossed in her car, and walked into the church.

At first she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. She was halfway up the center aisle when she heard him. "Hello, Baby Doll," he sneered. She turned and saw he held a knife to the neck of Alec Cabot. "Did you miss me?

In an apartment on the other side of town, another brunette was equally nervous, although the reasons behind it were far more pleasant. Abbie was currently standing in her apartment awaiting the arrival of Casey Novak. The pizza had been delivered not five minutes ago, now all she need was the woman she had fallen for to arrive and help her eat it. Abbie heard the knock on the door, took a deep breath and went to open the door.

Casey looked about as nervous as Abbie felt. She followed her hostess in to the living room and they sat down and started to eat. At first it was slightly awkward. They had been friends for long time and now they were attempting to embark on a romantic relationship. They both thought it was ridiculous that they couldn't even have a normal conversation. Eventually Abbie remembered what Olivia had said about her relationship with Alex. It hadn't really changed much except now she could say and act without really thinking. This thought made Abbie relax and she felt much more comfortable with the situation.

Seeing Abbie relax caused Casey to do the same. Abbie put in a movie and they settled into the couch to watch. Throughout the movie, with the help of various trips to the kitchen to grab refreshments or snacks, both women had subconsciously moved closer together after each trip. Halfway through the movie, Casey mustered up enough courage to lay her head on Abbie's shoulder. With a soft smile, Abbie brought her arm up and wrapped it around Casey, disbelieving how natural all of this seemed to be.

As the movie ended, Abbie looked out the window and noticed the sun was still setting. She stood up and turned to Casey. "Come on, I want to show you something." She held out to Casey, who took it willingly. Abbie then led her out of the apartment.

Olivia stood in front of Matthews wondering where the hell her back up was. He was still holding the knife, but Alex was now sitting in a pew behind him instead of with the knife to her throat. They had been standing like that for more than an hour. The only thing Matthews had said since she arrived was an order to drop her cuffs and gun off to the side of her. Olivia knew that he had to run things. She was only waiting for him to get on with it. Luckily she didn't have to wait long.

"You know I completely broke down when you broke up with me," Matthews started. "Thought that if I could screw up the best thing that happened to me, there must be something wrong with me and I didn't deserve to live. After I tried to kill myself, my parents had me committed."

Of course Olivia knew all of this, but he needed to say it.

"When they let me out three months ago, the first thing I wanted to do was find you and apologize, so I started asking around, trying to figure out how to contact you. Imagine my surprise when I find out you're a dyke," he shouted. "All this time, I thought I had done something wrong, but it was you. You ruined my life. And now I'm going to ruin yours." He turned and took a step back towards Alex.

"Hold on a second Dillon," Olivia said, causing Dillon to turn back towards her. "This is between me and you. Let Alex go and we can talk about it."

"No." Matthews said then took a step towards her and punched her in the face.

"LIV!" Alex screamed as Liv fell to the floor, but quickly got back up.

"You shouldn't have done that," She said as she kicked him in the stomach and then kneed him in the face. She went to punch him, but he caught her hand and launched her towards the wall.

"Aaahhhh," Liv groaned as she hit the wall with a tremendous force. Matthews then proceeded to kick her in the ribs and face. As he was getting ready to kick her again, she kicked his legs out from under him. Alex was amazed and shocked that she still had any strength left in her. The respect she had for Olivia increased tenfold.

Liv then got up and kicked Matthews in the face. Matthews screamed as his nose and cheek bones broke and passed out. Liv then ran to Alex, trying to get her free.

"Liv you were amazing," Alex said.

Just as she was starting to get the knot untied, Matthews came up from behind her and kicked her in the back. He then punched her in the face, knocking her out.

"Bitch is going to pay for that," he said, retying the knot on Alex's hands.

After the knot was tied Matthews went over and bound Olivia's hands in front of her. He then kicked her in the ribs again. A cracking sound was heard and Alex flinched while Matthews and Liv remained motionless. "That's what she gets." He said.

Matthews kicked her again on the other side and broke more of her ribs. He bent over and picked her up.

"What are you doing?" Alex asked, worry etched all over her face.

"Getting revenge in every way possible." Matthews said, heading in the direction of the small storage room towards the back of the small building.

Just then Liv's eyes opened and she looked Alex. Alex gasped in surprise and wondered how she could have come to so fast. Liv waited till he loosened his grip on her as he was 

reaching for the door knob. She flipped out of his grasp and barely landed on her feet before kicking his knees out from under him. He fell to the ground and rolled over and shoved the knife he had into Liv's back. He got up and shoved her into the wall, plunging the knife in a second time, into her leg, and whispered in her ear "I'm gonna do to you exactly what you fight against every day, give you a chance to better relate to your victims. Then, when I'm done, I'm gonna take the woman you love away from you too."

Alex heard what Matthews said and once he was finished she looked into Olivia's eyes and saw them flare with hatred, anger and disgust. Liv elbowed him in the ribs and he bent over in pain. She then kneed him in the balls and he screamed in pain as she kicked him in the face. He got up and hit her in the face. Liv was extremely mad now and Alex felt a little bit sorry for the man, knowing he was in for a lot of pain. Liv kneed him in the balls again, only with her good leg, and head butted him in the nose, affectively knocking him out. She nudged his leg making sure he was out cold. Satisfied, went over, grabbed her handcuffs, and put them around his wrists. She then took the knife out of her leg, walked over to Alex, and cut the ropes.

"Are you okay Liv?" she asked

"Yeah." she said, sinking down to sit next to Alex on the floor. They could hear sirens off in the distance getting closer.

"Are you sure, Liv? You don't look so good," Alex commented, noticing that her lover had grown paler.

"I'll be fine as long as I know you're alright," Olivia responded as she forced a small smile.

The sirens were very near to their location now. Alex got up to go look out a window and saw the cruisers and ambulance pull up right outside the building. She turned to let Olivia know that help had arrived only to see her slump fully to the floor. Alex rushed to her side, just as the officers and EMTs entered. They arrested Matthews and loaded Olivia into the ambulance.

Abbie lead Casey up to the roof of her building. She knew the end of the sunset beautiful, especially from that height. They were currently standing near the edge of the roof, shoulders touching, just watching the setting sun and listening to the sounds of the city. From one of the windows of neighboring apartment she could here soft music coming through.

"Dance with me?" she asked as she turned and looked at Casey.

Casey nodded and let her arms wrap around Abbie's neck, while Abbie placed hers around Casey's waist. The danced for a few more minutes before the song came to an end. Casey looked up into Abbie's eyes. As if on instinct, they both started to lean towards each other. Just before their lips were about to connect, Casey's cell phone started to ring.

"You have got to be kidding me!" She exclaimed. She looked up at Abbie. "Hold that thought," she said as she pulled out her phone. "Novak," the irritation was obvious in her voice, much to Abbie's amusement.

As Casey listened to the caller her irritation quickly faded away, only to be replaced by worry and concern. She snapped the phone shut. Taking Abbie's hand, she started to lead her back down into the apartment building. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" Abbie asked.

"Liv's in the hospital. She got into a fight with Matthews. I don't know much, all I know is a knife was involved."

After Abbie heard this, their fast past walk, turned into a run as they made their way to the street to catch a cab to the hospital, both praying their friends would be alright.

Several hours later, in the waiting of the hospital, Alex, Eliot, Kathy, Munch, Fin, Casey, Abbie, Cragen, Anita, Serena, and Nola were waiting to here on Liv's condition. They were all silent. All of them fearing they were about to lose a sister, daughter, friend, and lover. The women all seemed to gather around Alex, offering her any support they could. Kathy, know what it was like to be in love with a cop and wait on their condition, stayed close giving Alex any reassurance she could.

After what seemed like an eternity, a doctor came out and walked up to the group and asked "Detective Benson?"

"Yes, how is she?" Cragen asked.

"Well, she lost a lot of blood, but she's stable for now. She has multiple broken ribs, a concussion, her nose is broken, and she also has a punctured lung due to the broken ribs. She's been stabbed in the back and leg, but there isn't any permanent muscle or tissue damage. We're all surprised she even made it to the hospital, but she's a fighter. If she makes it through the night, I see no reason why she shouldn't make a full recovery," he explained, knowing that this group wouldn't accept anything sugar coated.

"When can we see her?" Alex asked.

"Are you Alex Cabot?" He asked. Alex nodded. "I have you listed as the next of kin and emergency contact. I can let you go in now, but I'm afraid everyone else is going to have to wait until morning. Go home and get some rest. Miss Cabot, if you'll follow me,

Alex turned to the group and saw that they were all reluctant to leave. "Go home guys. I'll call if there is any change."

Accepting this, they all gave her a hug, and promised to stop in at some point the next day. Alex turned back around and followed the doctor to her love's room.


	12. Chapter 12

For disclaimers, please see chapter 1

* * *

Standing outside the door the doctor had led her to, Alex was reluctant to enter. She had been there when Olivia was injured and saw the entire fight. She heard the doctor give the extent of her injuries and she didn't know if she could handle seeing the usually strong detective looking vulnerable under the hospital lights.

Finally gathering her courage to go into the hospital room, Alex was glad to see that it wasn't as bad as she had feared. Olivia was only connected to the heart monitor and the IV drip. For some reason she had imagined several machines all working together to keep her love alive.

She walked over to the bed, took a seat in the provided chair, and grabbed onto Olivia's hand, almost willing her to squeeze back. The doctor entered to make sure everything was still alright.

"Do you have any idea when she will wake up?" Alex asked, not taking her eyes off Olivia's face.

"The anesthesia should wear off in another couple of hours. However, we're going to be keeping her in a medically induced coma to give her body time to heal," the doctor explained.

"Would it be alright if I stay with her?" Alex questioned, still not looking at the doctor.

"According to her chart you're family so you are allowed to stay as long as you would like. Everyone else will have to wait until visiting hours," the doctor said. He finished his work and walked back out of the room.

Alex was left alone, with only the sound of the hospital machines to interrupt her thoughts. Not for the first time she wondered how she became the next of kin and emergency contact. She was going to make sure she questioned the detective about then when she woke up. Suddenly feeling the events of the day catch up to her, Alex laid her head on the side of the bed and fell asleep, never letting go of Olivia's hand.

Casey and Abbie were sat in the back of a cab on the way back to Casey's apartment. Despite the interruption, the night had gone very well. The cab came to a stop outside of Casey's apartment. Abbie exited the cab first, giving Casey room to exit the car on the same side as the side walk.

"I had a good time tonight," Abbie said. "Minus the whole hospital visit."

"I agree. We should do it again," Casey replied hopefully.

"Definitely," Abbie smiled.

Casey returned the smile and made her way towards the door to her building. Abbie was just about to get back into the cab when she realized that the night didn't feel quite over yet. "Casey!" She called out, causing the red head to turn with a confused look on her face. Abbie made her way up the steps of the building and stopped right in front of Casey. She placed her hands on either side of Casey's face and leaned in for a kiss, one that was returned eagerly. Casey drew her tongue along the brunette's bottom, asking for permission to deepen the kiss, a request which was quickly granted. They slowly explored each other for a few more minutes before oxygen became a concern and they reluctantly drew apart.

"Good night, Casey," Abbie whispered as she slowly walked backwards back towards the cab, keeping her gaze fixed on Casey.

"Good night," Casey replied. She watched her go with a small smile spreading across her face. As Abbie finally got in the cab, Casey turned to let herself into her building. Both women returned to their apartments feeling content and happy for the first time in a very long time.

Three days had gone by and the detective had yet to wake up. Granted is was the hospitals choice at this point, but Alex wanted to look into those warm chocolate eyes, if only to reassure herself that everything was going to be ok.

Over the course of Olivia's, stay there had been many visitors, some expected while others were a complete surprise. Even though Liv didn't know they were there, Alex was very grateful. Abbie, Casey, Anita, Nola, and the guys from the 1-6 were among the first and most often. Lennie Briscoe and Ed Green and various others among the force also stopped in, some Alex new from around the courthouse and others she had never seen before. Some of the surprising visitors were Judge Petrovsky, Arthur Branch, and Liz Donnelly. Alex, for her part, only left long enough to go home, shower, change, and grab something to eat. One of their friends was usually available to sit with Olivia until Alex was able to return.

She had just returned and relieved Munch of his babysitting duties, as he called them, when Casey came through the door with a big grin on her face.

"What are you smiling about?" Alex asked, with a small smile of her own.

"I just got out of Arraignment and you are the first one I wanted to tell," Casey explained.

"Please tell me that bastard is going away for life," Alex said.

"If I have my way he'll be getting a needle in the arm sooner rather than later," Casey said, turning serious for the moment. "He has been indicted on four counts of rape one, four counts of murder one, one count of kidnapping, one count of bribery, and one count of assaulting a police officer. I wanted to go for attempted murder on that, but Branch thought I might be pushing it. Matthews' DNA matched what was found on all of the victims so we have a rock solid case. First thing Langon did was come up and offer to make a deal."

"It figures that bastard would be representing that scum," Alex sneered. "What did pitiful offer did he try and make?"

"The only thing he gave was 25 to life, saying if this went to trial Matthews would get off due to mental disease or defect," Casey raised her arm cutting Alex's response. "I've already had Huang evaluate him. There is nothing insane about him. I also plan on calling the doctor he had while he was committed."

When Casey had finished going over what had happened in court, the door opened allowing the doctor to enter. "Good afternoon ladies," he greeted them. "I have good news."

"What?" Both Alex and Casey asked simultaneously.

"We are taking Detective Benson out of the coma today," he said as he pushed a syringe of clear liquid through the IV. "She should be awake in the next couple of hours."

"Thank you very much doctor, for everything,"

"It's been a pleasure, Ms. Cabot," he smiled at her. "I'll be back in a few hours to check on her."

"I've meant to ask the other night, but when exactly did Liv change her medical information?" Casey asked. "As far as I know you guys have only been an 'us' for about a week."

"I have no idea, but as soon as I know she's ok when she wakes up, that is the first thing I am going to ask," Alex responded. Suddenly she got a big grin on her face. "Speaking of the other night, how did your date go?"

The grin on Casey's face matched Alex's. "It was amazing. Things started out a little awkward at first, but eventually it started to feel like it would when we normally hang out, but this time we didn't have to hold back on some things we couldn't say before," Casey paused and then finished telling Alex all about her night. "And just as I was about to enter my building, she called my name, came up, and kissed me. It was quite possibly the best kiss of my entire life."

"I'm happy for you guys," Alex told her. "You know you need to thank Liv when she wakes up, right?"

"What do you mean?" Casey asked.

"If it hadn't been for Liv telling Abbie to call you when she did, who knows how long it would have taken to get you two together," Alex explained.

Casey chuckled. "Yeah I guess I do, huh? What's her favorite flower? I figure that's a good start."

"No, flowers. An invite to the wedding will be thanks enough," came the gravelly voice of the third person in the room.

Both attorneys' heads snapped to the head of the bed. "LIV!"


	13. Chapter 13

For disclaimers, please see chapter one

* * *

Casey ran out to get the doctor while Alex quickly moved to the bed to pull Olivia into a gentle embrace, tears streaming down her face. "Don't you ever do that to me again," she told her. "When I saw you pass out, I was so scared we wouldn't make it time."

"Hey, you're not gonna get rid of me that easy," Olivia replied.

Before Alex could respond, Casey returned with the Doctor. He set about taking vitals and checking visual response, while Alex and Casey stood by and watched quietly. "Good news, Detective." The doctor started.

"What? You're going to let me go home today?" Olivia quipped, causing the doctor to chuckle along with the other two women in the room

"Not quite that good, I'm afraid, Detective," he stated, "but your recovery is coming along nicely and I expect you to fully recuperate. If things continue to go well, I don't see why we can't send you home in a week."

Olivia grimaced at the thought of having to stay in the hospital bed for another week. "Does it have to be that long? How about two?"

"Six."

"Three."

"Five."

"Four, but not a moment longer," Olivia responded.

The doctor chuckled. "IF I agree to four days, you have to agree to have some with you at all times for at least a week after."

"Don't worry doctor," Alex interrupted. "She'll be in good hands."

The doctor nodded and left the room. Casey turned back to the bed with an amused expression on her face. "I'm impressed, Liv. Not even awake twenty minutes and already you talked the doctors out of three extra days in here. I think I'll let you argue the next motion to suppress I get," Casey laughed.

"No thanks. I'll leave the prosecuting to my friends," Olivia replied. "Speaking of which, ho exactly did the date go?"

Casey smiled brightly. "How much did you hear?"

"I heard it all, but I think I only understood the last part or so," Olivia replied. Casey then told her everything she had told to Alex. "Like I said before, as long as I get invited to the wedding, I'll be fine with it."

"Deal," Casey agreed. She then left the room, noticing that her lunch break was just about over. The two lovers were the only ones left in the room. Alex walked back towards the bed, sat in the chair, and intertwined their fingers together.

"So what all did I miss?" Olivia asked.

"Not much that I know of," Alex responded. "Of course, I'm as much out of the loop as you are. Almost all of my time has been spent in here."

"You know you didn't have to right?"

"I couldn't leave, Liv, not after that doctor said that I was your next of kin," Alex looked Olivia directly in the eyes as she said those words. She watched a small blush creep up the detectives face.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Olivia apologized. "It was before we even got together as a couple though."

"How long?"

"Do you remember the Tillman case we caught a couple of months ago?" Olivia asked.

"I vaguely remember the details. The one thing that stands out quite vividly is you getting shot."

"As far as details go, a mother found out her adult daughter was having a sexual relationship with one of her female teachers. Mother buys a gun and holds the teacher hostage. We exchanged fire, took her down, and made sure everyone was alright," Olivia explained.

"Ok, but what does this have to do with your medical records? Let me just say for the record that I was very pleased when I found out by the way. Not for the reason why I found out though."

"After I got shot, I realized that that could have been it. I could have taken a fatal shot, instead of just a grazed shoulder, and I never would have gotten to tell you how I really felt. I had my forms updated while I was at the hospital that day. I vowed to myself that the first thing I said when I woke up would be how I really feel." Olivia laughed for a minute. "And of course now that this happens while we're together I broke that promise." Alex looked at her with a confused expression written all over her face. "Instead of saying 'Alex, I love you,' I invited myself to Casey and Abbie's hypothetical wedding."

Alex had to laugh at that too. "Well you could always make up for that egregious oversight right now," Alex suggested playfully.

"Alex, I love you. Very much," Olivia dutifully responded. Even though it was in response to the teasing remark, Alex could tell by looking into Olivia's eyes that she meant every word.

"I love you too, Liv," Alex replied. She emphasized that statement with a kiss to the back of Olivia's hand, still locked with her own. Alex also noticed how tired Olivia was becoming. "Get some sleep love, I have a feeling you are going to have a lot of visitors streaming in and out of here later." Olivia nodded and closed her eyes. Within minutes she was fast asleep.

As promised, the many people who had visited while Olivia was still unconscious trickled in when they heard that she was awake. Only this time they all seemed to come in triplicate and congratulating her. This act not only confused Olivia, but it made her curious. It wasn't until Eliot arrived on the third with a big grin on his face that she realized she was about to find out.

"So Eliot, you want to tell me why everyone seems to think waking up from a medically induced coma warrants congratulations?"

"It's not your waking they're congratulating, Liv," Eliot explained with a look that can only be explained as one a proud big brother would give to his little sister. "The city wants to give you a medal of honor, for not only saving the life of a Manhattan Bureau Chief, but also for making the Columbia University campus safe again." He then handed a newspaper to Alex and let her read it for herself.

"Wow, apparently I'm kind of a big deal," Alex said smugly as she looked up from the paper.

Olivia laughed. "Yeah but I can assure you that saving your life was done for purely selfish reasons."

"Oh? And what would those be, detective?"

"Well without you around who would put up with me?" Olivia replied. Alex smiled and Eliot rolled his eyes.

"Alright before the mush factor goes up even more, I am going to get going. I'll let Kathy know how you're doing." They said their goodbyes and Eliot left the room.

Alex looked back to Olivia and smiled. "So what are the rest of these selfish reasons of yours for saving my life?"

"Well, how about I would miss you a whole lot?"

"That's a good reason," Alex said as she leaned in to give Olivia a short kiss. Olivia didn't agree with that. She made an immediate move to make the kiss more passionate. After a short time Alex pulled away. "Don't start something you can't finish, detective."

"Just thought I'd give you something to look forward to when you take me home tomorrow," Olivia smiled.

For some reason the idea of Olivia thinking of her apartment as home warmed her heart. She could at least pretend it was true for the next week and then maybe think about talking to Olivia about making it more permanent.


	14. Chapter 14

Check chapter one for the standard disclaimers.

* * *

"Abbie!" Olivia yelled out as she entered the room. "If we don't get outside soon then everything is going to be behind."

Abbie came out of the en suite bathroom, mostly dressed, with a smile on her face. "Calm down, Liv. Everything is going to be fine."

"How can yo be so calm right now?" Olivia asked.

"I'm not the one that has anything to worry about," Abbie smiled. She finished dressing and the pair made their way out to the garden.

It has been almost a year since the Dillon Matthews encounter. Alex had wanted to handle the case, but was told that it would be a conflict of interest. Casey took care of it and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. She was even able to push up the execution date. In just another six months, they wouldn't have to worry about Matthews ever again.

Olivia accepted her medal, although she played down the occasion. Because she was a high ranking member of the D.A.'s office and the "damsel in distress," Alex was allowed to present it. Olivia was required to where her dress uniform at the ceremony. As she was walking up to the stage to accept the medal she caught the look Alex was giving her. Later that night, Olivia found that Alex had a few fantasies about a woman in uniform.

Due to the injuries, Olivia had taken almost three months off of work. She spent most of it spending time with Alex, getting to know the Cabot family, and healing in general. Caroline Cabot had been ecstatic about the relationship. She was glad to finally see Alex happy and that she found someone who would take care of her.

As much as she had wanted to, Alex didn't ask Olivia to move in with her after the week they stayed together because of those injuries. That discussion had waited an entire month and it was Olivia who brought it up. They spent every night together at one apartment or the other anyway, and they were both ready for that step. They enlisted the help of Eliot, Munch, and Fin. Abbie and Casey gave a hand too. Since the move in, they had become quite settled, some would say domestic. There had even talk about kids. Before that though, they both wanted to get one other step out of the way.

Abbie and Casey were still going strong. They had moved in together just a few weeks after Alex and Olivia, something the guys weren't as pleased with as they had just recovered from the last move. No one had ever seen them as happy as they are now and they both thanked Alex and Olivia every chance they got. Alex and Olivia were both convinced that Abbie and Casey would have gotten together eventually even without their help, but they accepted the thanks none the less.

Today though was a very important day. When Caroline Cabot was told about the wedding, she immediately offered up the use of her spacious back yard. Olivia couldn't believe the transformation that had taken place. What was once a very large patch of green was now home of more than three hundred chairs, a pavilion at the front, and a long white carpet that started at the back doors of the house and ended at the pavilion for the center aisle.

Olivia and Abbie walked as casually as they could down the aisle, pausing briefly to talk to some of the guests which included the guys from the precinct and various members of the D.A.'s office. They finally took their positions at the pavilion and waited for the ceremony to begin.

The music began and both women looked to the doors of the house. When they opened, Olivia felt as though she couldn't breathe. Alex looked amazing in her dress and she walked with such a grace that made her appear to be floating. Even though she was smiling though, Olivia could tell by the look in Alex's eyes that she wasn't particularly fond of everyone looking at her right now.

When she neared the front of the aisle, Olivia casually leaned over and whispered. "Aren't you glad we eloped?" Alex quietly chuckled and nodded her head. She was glad. They both didn't want to make a big deal about it. Alex had asked her Uncle Bill to perform the ceremony and the only other person in attendance had been Alex's mother. They had a party a week later, thrown by Caroline, to announce and celebrate the marriage.

As Alex took her spot on the side opposite Olivia and Abbie, the music changed and Abbie went from calm and relaxed to nervous and worried. "Now you're nervous?" Olivia asked quietly. "I thought you said you didn't have anything to worry about. I'm the one that has to make a speech."

"She could not show up, or worse she could and then say no when we get to that part," Abbie responded.

As Olivia was going to reply, the doors opened once again to reveal a smiling Casey, ready to walk down the aisle. "She wouldn't be smiling like that, if she were going to leave you at the altar." Olivia said. She noticed a small amount of tension leave the other woman's body.

Casey made her way down the aisle. She met Abbie at the end and took her hand. Abbie looked into Casey's eyes. From that one look, she knew that the most difficult part of actually getting to this point was over. Now all they had to do was get through the ceremony.

"Welcome everyone. We are gathered here today to witness the union of Abigail Brenna Carmichael and Cassandra Nicole Novak…"

Sometime later, during the reception, Olivia and Alex were sitting down and quietly talking about the ceremony. "Did you know Abbie's or Casey's middle names?" Olivia asked.

Alex laughed and shook her head. "I always tried to figure them out, but I never would have guessed that 'ABC' or 'CNN' would be a hint."

"You don't regret it do you?" Olivia asked, growing serious and changing the subject. Alex looked at her with a confused expression, prompting Olivia to explain. "Eloping instead of having the large ceremony?"

Alex smiled and leaned in to give her wife a soft kiss. "If I would have regretted it, I would have said something two months ago before we actually went through with it. Now I am married to the most wonderful woman in the world and we have an appointment with the clinic tomorrow which we will hopefully be leaving with me carrying her child."

Olivia pulled Alex in for a longer, more passionate kiss than before. As they pulled away, Olivia smiled. "Have I told you today how much I love you?"

"No, but the day's not over yet," Alex replied. She was about to lean in for another kiss when the voice of the DJ caught her attention.

"Alright every one. This song is dedicated to Alex and Olivia from the brides. They want you both to know that you are the best friends they could ask for. This is quite possibly the strangest request I have ever had for a wedding, but I do what they tell me. Anyway, here is The Chipettes with 'Getting Lucky'."

The song started to play as Olivia laughed and Alex slightly blushed. "Well, Mrs. Benson-Cabot, may I have this dance?" Olivia asked.

"Seeing as how this is our song I think we'd better," Alex replied with a laugh. They made their way out to the dance floor.

As the song ended Olivia looked at Alex. "Did you ever think that song would lead to all of this?"

Alex thought for a moment. "Honestly, all I wanted to do was get your attention. The fact that we are where we are now is just icing on the cake."

That night, as the two couples made their way home or started out on their honeymoon and the love of their lives in their arms, they realized that they couldn't get any luckier.


End file.
